Kundalini Yoga Reduces Anxiety

Kundalini yoga can be used as a complement to treat generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adults, according to a study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health of the government of the United States of America.

Study results indicate that kundalini yoga may produce short-term benefits in some people with generalized anxiety. The scientific work, led by researchers from New York University Grossman School of Medicine and Boston University, has been published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.

People with generalized anxiety disorder feel extremely worried about things like health, money, or family problems, even when there are few reasons for it. People with GAD find it difficult to control their anxiety and focus on other things.

3 out of 5 people manage to control their anxiety thanks to kundalini yoga

Although cognitive-behavioral psychological therapy can be effective, more and more people are seeking alternative interventions, such as yoga, the study authors explain.

The study included 230 adults with a primary diagnosis of GAD, who were assigned to three groups for 12 weeks. One group performed yoga; another, cognitive-behavioral therapy and the third, training in stress management that included lectures on the importance of behavior, exercise and diet.

The kundalini yoga sessions included performing physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation exercises, and meditation practices.

At the end of 12 weeks and again 6 months later, the participants were assessed to see if they had responded to the treatment. At 12 weeks, 54 percent of the kundalini yoga participants and 71 percent of those who received psychological therapy responded positively to treatment. Only 33% of the participants who received stress education said they had improved.

At 6 months, the people who felt the benefit of yoga increased to 63 percent. The researchers concluded that the available scientific literature and data from this study support that kundalini yoga may be a useful intervention for GAD, with the advantage that it is more accessible to many people than cognitive behavioral therapy.

The authors propose that future research study the individual characteristics that make a person more likely to respond to yoga compared to CBT for effective personalized treatment.

Scientific reference:

• Simon NM et al. Efficacy of yoga vs cognitive behavioral therapy vs stress education for the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry.